**Fort Worth -** Bill Self seems to have settled on a starting five that puts a lot of experience on the floor. Seniors Frank Mason and Landen Lucas, juniors Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk and age-defying freshman Josh Jackson all know how to play smart basketball, one infrequently discussed advantage Kansas takes into Big 12 play beginning tonight at 8 against TCU.
The four-guard lineup, which many college basketball teams employ now, became more of a necessity once freshman center Udoka Azubuike was lost for the season to wrist surgery. A look at five keys — ranked in order of how realistic an expectation — to Kansas compensating well enough for his loss to extend its Big 12 regular-season streak of titles to 13, which would tie UCLA for the longest of all-time:
**1 – Svi Mykhailiuk** playing close to as well in the Big 12 season as he did in non-conference play. For most of his career, Mykhailiuk’s shooting stats have mirrored the quality of the opposition. But he’s playing with so much confidence now he might be able to translate that to better competition. Svi’s averaging 11.1 points, has a .435 3-point percentage and is doing a nice job of incorporating the drive into his arsenal.
**2 – Lagerald Vick** gaining more consistency. When he’s good, he’s really good, but he can go long stretches without influencing games, without looking fully engaged. He played just 91 minutes as a freshman, and still is figuring things out, but has a chance to take a big step forward as a sophomore. He’s so long and quick and has such a soft shooting touch that the potential is there.
**3 – Carlton Bragg** doing a better job of playing to his size and staying out of foul trouble. It’s not too early to say that Bragg is behind in his development and not too late to expect that he can catch up. He has the potential to become a terrific rebounder and once he encounters success finishing through contact that should embolden him to hang tough underneath. If he plays better in traffic and enjoys the praise he gets from that, it will restore his confidence from the perimeter. Staying out of foul trouble? Not too sure how realistic that is. It’s a frustrating aspect of his game.
**4 – Dwight Coleby** steadily regaining strength in his surgically repaired knee to the extent he can lend steady help as a rebounder and shot-blocker off the bench. That might not be the case until next season, but it’s possible. Still a step slow, he has a tendency to get into quick foul trouble.
**5 – Mitch Lightfoot** emerges to become an important part of the rotation. It’s a lot to expect of a freshman whose frame will take on a lot of muscle every year during his career. It is realistic to expect him to perform better from the free-throw line, where he is 1 of 8.
